I tried to search but could not find any relevant topics already posted. So here t goes. I have noticed this a few times but just wanted to know if everyone experiences this. When the gas light turns on the tC accelerates horribly and at times almost wants to stall. It did this the first week I had it, but I haven’t drive the car for several months and now since I have it back and I just hit 30k miles I want to make sure it is normal and not something I need to have fixed under warrantee.

My current solution is to not let the gas light turn on but last week it did and reminded me of the issue.

 

I've never had that problem, and this is the first time i've heard of it...

 

you might have water or bad gas in the gas tank. drain the tank or get some kind of gas additive or pump super premium gas for a few tanks

 

yeah, if anything my tc feels a bit faster when it is low on gas because there is less weight.

maybe there is something wrong with the fuel pump and it is struggling to keep fuel going to the engine when the fuel level is low and that is why it isn't accelerating and stalling.

 

My gas light came on last night and i did feel that the car had more spped and also i keep praying to make it to the gas station. :D

 

samething happens to me... when I make a hard turn with the gas light on it feels like it stalls even though is an automatic,,,, ____ing weird...

 

My one is an auto too, it is not bad gas because it did it two days after I purchased the car I always use Chevron, 76 or Shell and prefer newer gas stations. The last fillup I did was from a newly renovated Chevron. I am almost at E again and need an oil change so I'll have the Dealer take a look at it. I especially notice it when I try to accelerate hard like from a stop, or getting on the freeway but only when the gas light is on.

 

mosion

umm having a new car means nothing. you could of had junk in your tank from the get go. the fuel tanks are made via robots these days so you might have had metal shavings still in you tank and might be clogging the filter in the tank. it would get the same responce as bad gas. with all the cars they make and all the tanks that get made you bound to get a bad one.

take it to the dealership like you said. make sure to not hit it with a full tank

 

Definitely possible Mike I didn’t think of that. You expect a new car to be perfect especially a Toyota product. I am going to wait a few days for the light to turn on.

 

Possible the tank is not gettign enough gas to the fuel pump and you are losing pressure to the fuel rail......most of my cars have done the smae thing with under half a gallen inthe tank.......

 

I think you've found what I found - after you are down to your last gallon, the car senses that, and then cuts out your throttle out if you exceed a certain amount.

Kind of a "limp mode" to get you to a gas station. I've found it incredibly useful, actually

 

LOL. I'm the same way. lol I keep praying until I get to the gas station. lol

 

i've actually never felt that on mine.. i have an 07 and i drive around school... and like a cheap college student i am, i drive my car till the needle hits the E before i go for a fill up... but i've never actually felt that before.. hmm... i should try this out...

 

Its a design flaw on the tC, that is the car actually running out of gas in the hard turns due to the location of the fuel pickup line in the tank. Unfortunatley have found its better to race w/ towards 1/2 tank instead of closer to 1/4 .

 

As long as others have experienced it I think it will be okay. Maybe I beat on my car more that you guys do. Its got 30k miles on it since I have noticed the issue so I don’t think it is anything to be overly concerned about but if it is broken it should be fixed purely on principal. I’ll still ask the dealer to take a look.

 

get some gas cleaner..but it is probaly not a good idea since the motor is still brand new..... Use shell gas that usually helps

 

The car runs perfect and I only run Chevron, 76, or Shell. Even 91 at times. it only has issues with the light on.

 

Are our cars able to run 92 octane..........I know my KIA is unable to burn it and after several months at the dealership and such they discovered that I was the problem...........the car is not designed to ignite the high octane with the timing the way it is..........

 

i agree with draining your tank out and changing gas stations because when you have less gas you have less weight due to cause your car to have better acceleration. Acceleration has nothing to due with the amount of gas in your car but it will make a factor when your trying to drive off of fumes but i recommend you dont even go past quarter tank, its bad for you engine

 

I don't have one favorite gas station that I always use, in fact the last three times I put gas I went to different companies Chevron, Shell, 76. As mentioned before the car did this the first few days I had it when I had drained the first tank of gas.

My plan is to take it to the dealer and have it checked out. It seems at least some others have noticed similar behaviors with their cars.

Thanks everyone for your input.